In a professional landscape where accounting, taxation, risk management and corporate governance increasingly intersect, Olutayo Akinleye has built a career defined by versatility, continuous learning and a strong commitment to professional excellence.
https://www.digital.zenithbank.com/ZEQ/ZEQ-jan-2026/index.html#p=1A Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and membership of the Certified Forensic Accountants of Nigeria, Akinleye brings extensive experience spanning accounting, auditing, taxation, financial management, risk management, banking operations, forensic accounting and investigation and business advisory. His career trajectory reflects not only technical competence but also an ability to operate across different sectors and professional environments.
Akinleye holds a Master’s in Managerial Psychology from the University of Ibadan, obtained in 2010, as well as a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy from The Polytechnic, Ibadan. His academic foundation also includes an Ordinary National Diploma in Accountancy and a Diploma in Accounting and Financial Computing.
His professional journey has taken him through accounting firms, financial institutions, corporate organisations and faith-based institutions, giving him a broad understanding of financial management and organisational administration.
As the Founding and Managing Partner of Akinleye Olutayo & Co., Chartered Accountants, Tax & Management Consultants, an indigenous professional services firm with a growing presence in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan. He is responsible for the strategic and day-to-day management of the firm, while providing professional services to clients across different sectors.
The firm’s multidisciplinary model enables it to work with businesses and institutions across diverse sectors, bringing together technical expertise and practical business understanding to help clients strengthen their financial architecture, improve efficiency and navigate increasingly complex regulatory and commercial environments.
Akinleye Olutayo & Co. positions itself as a strategic partner in enterprise growth and institutional sustainability. Its service offering extends from statutory audit and tax compliance to financial feasibility studies, project management, fund and wealth management, business planning and staff development. The firm’s approach is deliberately client-centred, combining a partner-led strategy, risk-focused engagements, close collaboration with management and a “no-surprise” reporting philosophy designed to identify weaknesses, anticipate risks and provide actionable insights. With qualified professionals drawn from diverse areas of finance, accounting, taxation, banking and risk management, the firm seeks to deliver not merely professional compliance, but measurable value that supports sound decision-making and long-term business growth.
Before returning to lead his professional practice, Akinleye served as Finance Manager at Ankorpointe Integrated Limited, an oil and gas petroleum engineering consulting company. His experience in the financial services sector further demonstrates the breadth of his expertise. Also at Resort Savings & Loans Plc, he served as Head of Risk Management, Credit Control and Recovery, where he monitored the institution’s risk assets and non-performing loans, reviewed credit policies, developed risk-management processes, and maintained oversight of enterprise risk management activities. He also dealt with regulatory matters involving institutions including the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, NDIC and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
His banking career also included roles as Finance/Operations Officer, Branch Manager, Finance/Admin Officer, Head of Operations and Reconciliation/Investigation Officer. These positions exposed him to branch management, customer relationship management, treasury operations, payroll, fixed deposits, cash management, reconciliations, compliance and internal controls.
Interestingly, Akinleye’s professional experience extends beyond conventional corporate finance. Between 2008 and 2014, he served as Finance/Administration Officer at Ikoyi Baptist Church, Ikoyi, Lagos. Earlier, he served as Conference Accountant/Assistant Treasurer at the Oyo West Baptist Conference Secretariat, where his responsibilities included revenue collection, budget monitoring, investment decisions and financial reporting.
His early professional years were spent building a strong foundation in auditing and consultancy. As an Audit Supervisor/Senior Consultant at Gbenga Badejo & Co., he handled statutory audits, financial statements, management reports, feasibility studies, financial projections and tax-related assignments. He began his accounting career as an Audit Trainee at Femi Ajijala & Co., assisting with statutory audits, financial statements and stocktaking.
Akinleye’s career also reflects an interest in knowledge, research and human development. His academic research interests have included the psychosocial correlates of cooperative savings among low-income earners in Ibadan and the effectiveness of budgetary control systems in Nigerian manufacturing organisations.
Beyond professional credentials, Akinleye identifies planning, interpersonal communication, teamwork, organisation, research, negotiation and people-oriented initiatives among his strengths. These attributes complement his technical background and help explain the breadth of responsibilities he has undertaken across different organisations.
For Akinleye, the journey from an accounting trainee to a Fellow of two major professional institutions and the head of his own professional practice represents a story of progression grounded in education, experience and continuous professional development.
At a time when organisations require professionals who can understand numbers while also appreciating people, risk, regulation and business realities, Akinleye’s multidisciplinary experience places him in a unique position to contribute to organisational growth and institutional sustainability.
His story is ultimately one of professional evolution, a journey shaped by the belief that expertise must continually develop to remain relevant in a changing business environment.
